How to start your own blog today

Are you ready to start blogging?

A blog is a great way to share the things that interest you with the world, reaching others with similar interests.
Do you have something you really enjoy and want to share your knowledge and experience others?
Do you have an idea or product to offer and want to tell everyone about it?

Then you are ready to start your blog!

I know you’re thinking setting up a website is hard and takes so much time and money, the technology is so complicated and I don’t know enough about computers.
The GREAT news is that it’s not that complicated to set up your own website any more and posting to it is as easy as sending an email, and you can do it in just a few hours.
If you can use a computer to read someone else’s blog, then you have the necessary skills to create and publish your own blog.
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3

Get a Web host

Get a Domain Name

Setup your Blog

How Do You Get Started?

The first step is to get a web host.

A web host is simply a company that will put you blog online so it can be found by anyone on the Internet. There are many companies out there that can put your blog online for a low cost but some are easier then others to use.

I recommend using Bluehost for your web host, I have been using it for a while now and I have found it extremely easy to use, has great 24/7 online and phone tech support and most importantly for just getting started, IT’S CHEAP!
You can get your web hosting account for $3.95 per month and your domain name is FREE!

Disclaimer: I am really a Bluehost user and I do believe it is the best hosting platform I have ever used. And because I do really believe in them I am a Bluehost affiliate which means I have included links to the Bluehost home page and installer below, if you click on these links and decide to go with Bluehost I will receive a small commission for the referral.At No Cost To You!

So with that in mind I have posted the steps to start your Bluehost account below

Happy Posting!

Getting Started With Bluehost

I suggest selecting the basic plan to get started because it has everything you will need.
The plus and pro plans have a lot of up-sells that you don’t need right now. You can always upgrade later if needed.

Choosing Your Domain Name

Make a list of 5 to 10 domain names you would like, be creative but make it easy to remember, you want people to find you. Your first few choices may not be available but don’t get discouraged. These days it’s hard to get your first choice but you can always tweak your choices to get close. Enter your chosen Domain Name – if it is not available you will get an “unable to continue” message and you will need to select a different one. A list of possible alternatives will also be displayed. Try to stay with “.com”, it will be easier for visitors to your site to remember.

Now you need to create your account.

You must fill in all the data fields but don’t worry if you don’t have a business name yet, it is optional and can be added at a later date.

On the next page you select your package choice and any addition’s you want to add.

These added services are up sales you won’t need in the beginning.

Under “Account Plan” select 36 months, this is the best value and if you decide to cancel you will be able to get a refund on the remaining total. Enter your payment information and complete your sign up.

Remember to read and accept the terms before clicking submit.

Click “Submit”

You will have the option of selecting additional domain names but if your just starting, you can skip this.

Now you need to set your account password. As with all passwords you want to make it something hard to guess but you can remember.

I recommend writing this information down and locking it away in a safe place. This is how you will access your account and you will not want to loose it.

If you do forget your password you can call Bluehost and they will help you setup a new one.

Enter your user name and password and you are on your web host dashboard.

Installing WordPress

Now that you have your domain name and hosting site you need to install WordPress to be able to create your site.

WordPress is the biggest website designing tool and it is yours to use absolutely FREE!

And it is easy to setup so lets get started.

Login to your Bluehost account and click on login in the button in the upper right corner.

Enter the user name and password you created when you signed up

Scroll down to Websites and select Install WordPress

Follow the simple directions and WordPress will be added under your chosen domain name.

To access your site simply enter your domain name followed by /wp-admin

Example: http://www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin

You will be taken to a login screen

Enter the user name and password you created while installing WordPress and you will be taken to your blog sites dashboard.

Right now your site is not visible to anyone online, you must choose a theme and set it up but don’t panic, it is very easy to do.

Picking a Theme

There are a lot of themes to choose from some are free, others have an upfront cost. I started out using the WordPress 2016 theme and found it does most of what I needed, and it is FREE! For someone just starting out it is a great theme, setting it up is easy and fast, the newest version is 2017 and is easy to use.

This post is kind of long so I will be making a separate post with a step by step walk through for setting up the WordPress 2017 theme but I found a YouTube post by Greg Narayan that covers setting up the 2017 theme in great detail and I recommend clicking on this link WordPress Twenty Seventeen Theme Demo – 2017 and following his free tutorial to get set up.

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